Freezing Kidney Tumors

Cryotherapy offers safer, less-invasive alternative to kidney removal.

At Henry Ford, our team offers several treatment options for kidney cancer. For certain patients with smaller kidney tumors, we may recommend cryoablation, which destroys the tumor by freezing it.

What is cryoablation?

Cryoablation is a procedure that ablates – or destroys – small kidney tumors using thermal energy to freeze them. This nonsurgical, minimally invasive procedure offers several advantages, including:

• An alternative treatment to removal of your entire kidney
• A success rate of more than 90% for removing the cancer
• Quicker return to normal activity and work
• No surgical incision; small needles are inserted to deliver treatment

Am I a candidate for cryoablation?

You may be a candidate for cryoablation to your freeze kidney tumors, if you have:

• Smaller kidney tumors
• Only one kidney (likely because of a kidney transplant or some other kidney condition)
• Advanced age or medical condition that prevent treatment with traditional open surgery or robot-assisted kidney surgery

How does cryoablation work?

Before cryoablation is performed, our team will take images of your kidney and the tumor using CT, MRI or ultrasound. These images allow our team to map out a roadmap for how to safely destroy your kidney tumor with cryoablation.

For the procedure, our interventional radiology team will insert a cryoablation probe, similar to a needle, through your skin and into the tumor. Cold, thermally conductive fluids are circulated through the probe to freeze and destroy the tumor.

After your procedure, you may need to spend the night in the hospital for observation. If part of the tumor is still on your kidney, you may need a follow-up procedure.

As follow up to your procedure, your doctor will arrange regular checkups and X-rays.